Orc Attack
by AllonsyMiddleEarth
Summary: On what is supposed to be a normal day, young Elladan and Elrohir, and Elrond and Glorfindel, come across an unexpected pack of orcs. rated K for slight violence in the orc attack part, contained to chapter 2.
1. Chapter 1

Elrond smiled a little, watching his sons riding ahead of the rest of the group, sitting proudly like fierce warriors on their shaggy little ponies. They were wearing their shiny elf armor as if prepared for a real mission, though they likely would not come across any need for armor, not this close to home.

They had behaved for about ten minutes, just long enough riding to get out of the crowds around the House, but Elrond knew it wouldn't last much longer. They were still very young, old enough to ride ponies well enough, but still young enough that they were only permitted to hold wooden swords, not trusted not to harm themselves- or each other.

This was one of their first rides outside fenced in yards of Imladris, and today they would ride out of the valley on their own ponies for the first time, accompanied by their father, Glorfindel, and a couple of guards. They were to spend the night camping, the twin's first time, and return in the morning.

True to Elrond's worries, not long from the edges of the valley the twins started bickering and Elladan pulled out his sword, brandishing it at Elrohir, who quickly pulled his own.

"Boys!" Elrond yelled in a deep and threatening Lord-of-Imladris-voice that made both twins freeze immediately and stop their ponies, turning back wide-eyed. Elrond spoke more kindly again once had their attention.

"Have you not learned better than to pull a sword on a member of your own company? What if that were a real sword? You know you will not be trusted with real swords until you prove you are able to be responsible with these." He told them seriously.

"Yes Ada. We're sorry." They chorused, hanging their heads.

Elrond smiled and shook his head at them. They reminded him constantly of himself and Elros at that age.

"Forgiven. Now can you take the rest of this ride seriously?" He chided them.

"Yes Ada!" They said, in unison again.

"Let us go, then." Elrond rode between them this time, the guards and Glorfindel following.

As they rode, Elrond quizzed them on everything from horse knowledge to what trees they were passing- mostly just to keep them distracted from fighting each other- and at least one of them knew the answer to each question.  
Finally they reached the top of the hill they were riding up, and Elrond let the twins pull ahead some.

"Whoa." Elladan said, impressed with the view.

"You have seen this before, lots of times?" Glorfindel asked them.

"It looks different when you're sitting on your own horse, not walking or on someone else's." Elrohir informed him.

"Sure it does, neth hên." Glorfindel said with a laugh and they rode on, through some woods along the Bruinen river.

"Can we ride into the woods?" Elrohir asked pleadingly.

Elrond glanced at Glorfindel, who nodded.  
"Yes, but let's wait until we reach the path. Have you studied the maps in your lessons, do you know where it is?"

Elrohir tried to subtly glance at Elladan to answer for him, but Elladan didn't know either, and they both looked guiltily at their father, who was hiding his laugh.  
It was Glorfindel who had desperately tried to teach them to memorize the maps of the areas surrounding the valley, and now the blond elf let out an exhausted sigh at the twins, but none were truly angry with them. They were young, and swords were much more interesting to them than maps.

"I suppose you will learn along the way, then." Elrond told them, and nodded to Glorfindel to lead them.

The path was too thin for more than one rider at a time, and Elladan protested that Elrohir was positioned to ride ahead of him, between his father and Glorfindel at the head, but soon quieted at Elrond's look to him.

The twins had never been in this part of the forest before and their delight was infectious. Everyone else in the company was happy to see them so excited.

They took a break for lunch in a large grassy field, and now Elrond let Elladan and Elrohir practice with their swords, as long as they did not stray too far or go near the horses.

Elrond rested against the trunk of a tree, glad for a moment's peace. It had been a busy few weeks of work. He had to negotiate a three-way trade between Imladris, King Thranduil's Wood-Elves, and a group of dwarves in the mountains, and the dwarves and Thranduil both refused to cooperate on this one. Elrond was sure it would work itself out eventually, but the process was more painstaking than he would like to deal with. He hadn't had much time left over, and poor Celebrían was left with watching the twins without him often this week, so he had been happy to take the twins out now and let give her a chance to rest for a day or two.  
Though, he thought as he opened his eyes, he should probably spend more time actually watching them, not just giving the task to Glorfindel.

He stood and brushed off he bits of grass that were clinging to him, and just in time, because at that moment he heard Elladan's frightened yell.


	2. Chapter 2

Suddenly fully alert Elrond rushed towards the sound, and both his sons barreled out of the tall grasses lining the field and collided into him.

He heard the sounds of swords clashing from the woods where Glorfindel was and his heart leapt to his throat.

"Orcs!" He heard one of the guards yell.

Elrond ushered his sons onto their ponies and instructed them to stay as close to the middle of the field and out in the open sunlight as they could, unless the guards instructed them otherwise. He commanded both guards to watch the twins and charged into the woods on his own horse after Glorfindel, Glorfindel's horse following at Elrond's whistle.

How Glorfindel had managed to get the orc sword he was fighting with Elrond had no idea, but Elrond tossed him his own as he charged in on his mare, stabbing the orc Glorfindel had been battling straight through the flimsy orc armor he was wearing. The orc fell and another two ran towards them, but by now Glorfindel too was on his horse and came to aid Elrond.

More orcs were heading towards them or trying to make for the field. It was a small pack, maybe only six or seven not counting the two that lay dead, but they were well outnumbered.

As a group of three pushed past the elves and into the field where the twins were and the guards were forced to draw their swords, Elrond's heart hammered with panic. Neither twin knew what to do, and their ponies were backing away in fear of the fighting, the twins sitting fearfully and just concentrating on staying on their backs. In seemingly slow motion before Elrond's eyes, a fourth orc barged out of the bushes right behind the twins. Elrohir's pony managed to back away and put the guards between itself and the orc, but Elladan's pony shot off into the woods with Elladan clinging to his mane.

Most elves rode without saddle or bridle, but usually at this point in their horsemanship the twins would use bridles. However, there had been no time when the orcs attacked, and Elrond now was terrified of what might happen now if Elladan were to fall. Elrond charged after them with a cry.

Elladan's pony was smart and managed to outrun the orc fairly quickly, but in the process, also got Elladan lost. He could dimly hear the sound of swords crashing behind him, but also to his left, and he didn't know which way he should turn, or if he should just keep riding in the other direction. He ended up staying, paralyzed with fear, and clung to his winded pony, fearing for his brother and hoping no orcs would come his way.

Elrond could find no sign of Elladan, but he pursued the orc until it was slayed in case it came back and found his son, wiping black blood off his sword before turning the other way.

"Elladan?" He called softly, torn between wanting to call for his son and not wanting to attract any more orcs in case they were near.

"Ada!" He heard the returning call, and breathed a sigh of relief, heading through the trees towards the sound.

He saw glimpses of Elladan clinging tightly to the gray mane of his pony and started to relax, but just as he did, a dark shape lunged at him out of a nearby tree. Elrond turned away in time to keep the orc's knife from his head or his horse's, where it was headed, but he was unable to stop the cry of pain when the knife lodged deep in his thigh instead. His mare, Elbereth bless her, gave a kick and the orc fell, but it was all Elrond could do to cling on and not fall under her hooves while she shot away as the pain in his leg overwhelmed him, his vision greyed and spotted, and his body began to go limp with dizziness.

"Ada! Ada!" Elladan's tearful voice was likely the only thing in the world that could have dragged him back into enough consciousness to not fall, and it worked.  
Elrond heard Glorfindel crashing through the woods after them and his horse stopped, Elrond half slumped over her neck.  
Glorfindel and Elladan were at Elrond's side instantly, and he did his best not to moan in pain while his son could hear. There was blood oozing quickly from the wound, the knife lodged deep. His face was white from losing so much blood, but it was Elladan's face that was palest.

"It is over Elladan. There aren't any more orcs, and we are safe now." Glorfindel said, though he was hardly looking at him, more worried about dressing Elrond's wound as quickly as possible.

"But the knife…" Elladan's round eyes were fixed on Glorfindel and his voice shook, but he was determined not to cry. His father's men would never cry.  
"Your father will be fine, Elladan, I promise." Glorfindel's eyes held the elfling's brown ones for a moment before he turned back to the elf lord still hardly clinging to consciousness.

Glorfindel dressed the wound to stop the bleeding, but he was afraid to take the knife out lest he make things worse and risk not getting Elrond back to Imladris in time.

The guards came through the woods with Elrohir between them a moment later, and Glorfindel sighed in relief, turning to them.

"Get him back, as quickly as possible." He told the guards as urgently as he dared in front of the already frightened twins. "I'll get Elladan and Elrohir back."

The guards flanked Elrond's horse's sides, holding him on between them, and the three headed back as fast as possible through the woods, Glorfindel leading the twins more slowly behind.


	3. Chapter 3

The next thing Elrond knew he was waking up in his own bed, and someone was hovering above him.

"C…Celebrían?" He croaked out, hoarsely.

"Thank Elbereth." Her voice murmured and she kissed his forehead, her cool hand brushing his cheek.

Elrond groaned in pain as he surfaced to consciousness enough to realize how much his leg hurt. He lifted the thin blanket covering him to look but all he could see were bandages, and it looked like a lot of them.  
He looked at Celebrían for information, and she obliged.

"It was a severe wound, but it will heal well enough in a few weeks. Lucky you were not farther away when this happened, the healers said you were losing a lot of blood and there would not have been much time…"

Elrond saw the worry in her eyes and squeezed her hand.

"But I am fine." He told her.

"There is a rather sizeable difference between "fine" and "just woke up from sustaining a severe orc wound, my love." She told him, and he chose not to answer.

"So much for you getting some time to rest from the twins…" He frowned.

"Elrond!" Celebrían laughed at him. "You nearly get your leg torn off and you are worried about ruining _my _day?"

He smiled at her sheepishly.

"You truly are the most selfless husband in all Arda. Or perhaps just the most foolish." Celebrían shook her head, but she was smiling lovingly.  
**  
**Elrond made a face at her, and then grimaced in pain again at his leg.  
"Whatever were orcs doing so close to us?" Elrond asked her. "Of all the trouble I was worried the twins might, this was not on my list!"

"I sent out a party last night, almost as soon as they had brought you back. But we do not know yet. Possibly it was just a chance accident that they were so close by and you came across them." She shrugged.

"They have terrible timing." Elrond shook his head. "The twins deserved a much better time their first outing, and one that didn't get cut short."

"There will be plenty more. And perhaps I shall have to come along next time to make sure the rest of you are safe." Celebrían raised her eyebrows, in her centuries-perfected imitation of her husband's expressions.

"Perhaps you will." Elrond laughed.  
He glanced at the light coming in through the window and suddenly frowned, noticing the blue-yellow tints of a late morning light.

"How long have I been asleep?" He asked her.

"Quite a few hours. You had lost a lot of blood, and you didn't wake up all yesterday or last night, and it is nearing midday already."

"The twins must have been terrified…" Elrond said softly, remembering the look on Elladan's face.

"Yes. But they did very well; they bravely rode back with Glorfindel- then begged to see you all night- but they acted very adult about the whole ordeal." She told him, proudly.

"Of course they did." Elrond started to push himself up and stand, ready to go find the twins.

"Not yet!" Celebrían pushed him back down and he frowned at her.  
"You are under clear orders not to walk on that leg for at least another couple of days." She commanded him strictly.

Elrond growled in frustration and Celebrían's mouth twitched, trying not to laugh at her husband's distress.

"I will go get them if you promise not to get up." Celebrían stood, and Elrond promised nothing.

"Stay." She told him menacinglyas she walked away, turning back with narrowed eyes, and Elrond raised his hands in defeat.

She returned after a minute with a wide-eyed twin clinging to each of her hands.  
Elrond smiled at them, and as soon as he did they left Celebrían in the doorway and ran across the room to him, slowing only when their mother made a warning sound to remind them not to jump on their father. They climbed up slowly on either side of him and Elrond put an arm around each of them.

"Thank you for saving us, Ada." Elladan said against his shoulder, and Elrond hugged them tighter.

"I will always protect you two," Elrond murmured. "And I will always be here for you." He added, squeezing Elrohir's hand as his son pulled on one of Elrond's braids.

"But you got hurt." Elrohir still looked worried.

"And I will heal." Elrond answered firmly. "Do not fear."

"Will you have a scar?" Elladan asked him suddenly, and Elrond laughed.

"Maybe not this time." He told Elladan, to his son's disappointment.

"Glorfindel told us all about scars." Elrohir informed his father.

"Oh? And what did he tell you?" Elrond raised an eyebrow curiously.

"He told us that all warriors have scars, old and newer, but that when he slayed the Balrog and was reborn he didn't get a single scar." Elladan answered quickly.

"Of _course_." Elrond tried not to laugh, and glanced up at Celebían in the doorway, hiding her laugh behind her hand.

"Tell Glorfindel that it must be because he fought such an old and weak Balrog." Elrond told his sons, who beamed.

Of course that was not true in the slightest, and the twins knew that as well as that everyone well respected Glorfindel for his deeds, Elrond included. But as Glorfindel liked to brag a few too many times per century to anyone he could get to listen, many liked to tease him about it as well.

"Someday we'll have really impressive scars." Elrohir said.

"Let's not rush that." Elrond said with a smile. "However, I do need to congratulate you for how well you did out there."

"But we didn't do anything." Elladan said, confused.

"Yes, you did; you followed orders, you stayed where you needed to be when you needed to be there. And more than that, you kept your heads and you acted intelligently and bravely, just as well as any warrior would have done. I am proud of you both." Elrond told them firmly, and they both glowed with delight at the compliment, bowing their heads respectfully before Elrond pulled them both into a hug again.

"Does this mean we can use real swords soon?" Elrohir asked carefully and hopefully.

Elrond subtly raised his eyes to look up at Celebrían, who shrugged and smiled.  
"We shall see about getting some proper sized swords forged when my leg heals, how about that?"

"Thank you thank you thank you!" They chorused, bouncing up and down.

"Although I will rethink that decision if you can not remember not to bounce on your injured Adar." Elrond grunted and lifted Elladan off his leg, and then laughed at the look of pure scathe Elrohir gave his brother.

"You know I am kidding," Elrond ruffled Elrohir's hair. "Why don't you two go find Glorfindel or somebody to practice with some more before you get your new swords."

They jumped down from the bed excitedly and tore out of the room.

"Don't bother anyone who is busy, don't go outside without supervision, and _behav_e." Elrond called after them, and shook his head at the faint, _"Yes, Ada,"_ that carried back down the hall.

"They will behave for the next day or so, they will not risk anything that could cause them to lose their sword privileges quite so soon." Celebrían laughed, coming back to sit next to Elrond on the bed.

"And then we will have two steel-wielding wild elflings on our hands." Elrond chuckled, and they watched out the window to the yard below where the twins had found one of their sword masters to practice with them.

"And soon enough we will have two fully grown warriors on our hands." Celebrían answered, looking far away.

_"Let's not rush that." _Elrond thought, for the second time today. They were growing up so fast, and he knew that they would be great elves one day. But not yet. Now, he wanted to enjoy this time with them, whatever trials and orcs might lie ahead.


End file.
